“The Best Bar In the World”

It’s the kind of bar that, when you leave it, seems to be the best of all possible public spaces. You’re filled with a sense of well being and hope. You’re inclined to make some sort of claim such as “This is the best bar in the world.” Days later on further reflection, you’re a bit more balanced. OK, best bar between Chicago (newly opened Violet Hour) and New York (Pegu, Milk and Honey)—without doubt, if you go by the quality of the products and the care with which cocktails are mixed.

I have an ongoing battle with my long-suffering wife which usually comes down to her saying, “Again, remind me. Why are we living in Cleveland?”

“The Velvet Tango Room.”

Besides having a cool physical bar in a funky little building (the place began as a barber shop and was a speakeasy in the 20s), the VTR mixes drinks with the same care the best chefs in the country bring to their food.
The owners, Paulius Nasvytis and Orva Fuston, find excellent products (Vya vermouth, Amarena Fabri wild cherries) or make their own (bitters, fortified wines that replace standard vermouths, ginger ale).

And they mix drinks, they don’t pour them. The VTR, along with a handful of bars in the country, wants to revive the art of the cocktail, one of a few distinctly American inventions.

Their featured cocktails include the sours and the aromatics. The aromatics usually combine sweet flavors and bitters, such as the Negroni, one of the great cocktails of all time, and the Bourbon Daisy, “the bad boy drink of the prohibition era,” Paulius says, with sweet, sour and ginger flavors. The sours are distinguished for their balance, and importantly the use of egg white. Very important, this egg white. It not only makes the concoction something of a health food or protein drink (yea, verily!), it adds some viscosity to the alcohol, which has very little tensile strength. The egg white shaken to a delicate froth seems to spread out the flavors and allow them to linger for a much longer finish.

I love the care they bring to what we’ve come to think of either distilled spirits with some fruit juice or tonic or soda (at best) or sex-on-the-beach silliness or the vodka martini (in which America lives up to its reputation as premier foister of mediocrity on an unthinking world).

Tatiana Madden (left) and Carol Grabowski are the chief tenders here (and very proud of the work they do). Yes, they weigh their ingredients, yes, the ice cubes are actual cubes (less chipping in that shape) and are kept at 16 below zero, but you can get a sense of the excellence of an egg white in a properly shaken cocktail.

Fill a shaker 3/4s full of ice, add an egg white (30 grams is ideal, says Tatiana), 3/4s of an ounce of lime juice, 3/4s ounce of simple syrup (Paulius makes his with a 2:1 sugar-water ratio) and 1.5 ounces of Mount Gay rum. Shake it well and thoroughly, for two to five minutes, and pour into a chilled glass. The below is a key lime version.

This is the bar I took Tony to on an off night during the Cleveland shoot for No Reservations, for Negronis, and in the car on the way out he said, “Damn, I wish we’d shot something there.” It’s where Wynton Marsalis came when he was here for a jazz fest, and he ended up playing (there’s music on weekends). I like to go there when we’re the only ones at the gorgeous bar and we can watch Carol and Tatiana work their craft. And when Donna’s pissed about living in Cleveland I know where to take her. (She liked it so much she agreed to take these pix—thanks donna!)

Is the Velvet Tango Room the best bar in the world? Endlessly debatable. Unless you’re lucky enough to live in Cleveland.

69 Wonderful responses to ““The Best Bar In the World””

papi

“Is the Velvet Tango Room the best bar in the world? Debatable, but not if you live in Cleveland.”

Well, even if it isn’t, you still have the R ‘n R Hall of Fame, and the Indians are leading the wild card race (for now).

One must admit, the dropper display was not only visually disturbing, but aesthetically lacking: the bar is a beautiful place, and while alchemy is involved to a point, it’s also not Clayton & Edwards Pharmacy.

RI Swampyankee

The beautiful, fully ripe, citrus alone indicates their attention to detail. One question, though. Does the raw egg white cause any problems with the Food Police or do they have to serve a 10 page legal disclamer with the cocktail?

Natalie Sztern

There ya go, Natalie. Plus, you have to do that “pretend we’re strangers” thing, too. Show up at the bar at different times and then get your spouse to seduce you all over again. Keeps them on their toes.

jdenver

I doubt I could pick a best or favorite bar, it would be more of a list of favorites. Tops on my list at the moment is a little dive called Warren’s in downtown Houston. My wife and I always stop in when we are in town for an Astros game. A word of warning–never order a double. I doubt they could find room for your mixer.

Drew

We’ve had an explosion of similarly spectacular bars here in San Francisco over the past few years. My nomination for the “Best Bar In The World” contest would have to be Alembic on Haight. Its mesmerizing just watching the ‘tenders (they prefer ‘Bar Chef’ these days…) do their stuff. Plus, they mail order spirits from Europe that aren’t available in this country.

Steve2 in LA

Ruhl, you’ve just ruined your favorite spot by putting a name to it. We’re talking the kiss of death. What were you thinking!?

Now, all the great-unwashed-sophisticato-wannabes are gonna come hang out at the “VTR” (as they TOO will call it) and make your favorite bar, THEIR favorite hang. No more room to belly up for you, dude.

I’d vote for a defunct bar whose name is lost in the mists of time and the alcohol-dazzled centers of what used to be known as my brain. It was located on 41st Street, between 8th and 9th, on that weird street under the Port Authority Bus Terminal.
To get there, you had to step over the drunken winos and stoned addicts with their spikes still in their arms. Then came the pools of pee and stale beer that you had to wade through. Finally you came to a filthy glass door set into the center of the street, where a big bouncer actually had the temerity to ask for $5 cover.
Cover, for what? This stinkhole?
But we still paid and entered what was possibly the best worst bar in the world.
Horribly filthy, you were offered choices of Budweiser, Budweiser or Budweiser. And God help you if you went to the bathroom. It made the toilet scene from Trainspotting look like a synchronized swimming ballet.
But…
The music, man, the music.
They’d showcase the best underground blues and jazz groups, and the music was absolutely soul-stirring. I recall sitting listening to some lanky white guy who sounded like John Lee Hooker belt out the most amazing deep blues songs until 4am. We never hit the one pitcher of Bud we’d ordered, we were so entranced.
Now THAT was the best bar.
Now, well, NYC’s so cleaned up that you can’t find stuff like that anymore. It’s lost its soul.
Sigh…

HuaGung

I had the exact same feeling as Steve2…visions of that episode from Cheers years ago when the “new” regulars from Melville’s started taking over Norm and Cliff’s chairs and even displaced cries of “Norm!” with “Steve!”… very eery…

As for my fav bar, I can’t really say. I looked out the window again and it’s still Minnesota here. Think I’ll go make a caipirinha and crank the Pogues.

Frances

S. Woody

You wrote –

“…the vodka martini (in which America lives up to its reputation as premier foister of mediocrity on an unthinking world).”

I’m not going to dispute what the vodka martini has done to drinking. I do need to point out how some of us – OK, I – have a strong aversion to gin. Just the smell of it turns my stomach. If my partner had had the smell of gin on his breath the night we met, we would never have past the one hour mark, much less the twenty-one years together that we celebrated last April.

We’ve compromised – our drink of choice together is the Manhattan. (Or, for variety, the Rob Roy.) It raises eyebrows of curiosity, and we often are asked “What is that?”

Maybe next time we should try a Negroni or Bourbon Daisy. They sound like true fun.

“Now, all the great-unwashed-sophisticato-wannabes are gonna come hang out at the “VTR” (as they TOO will call it) and make your favorite bar, THEIR favorite hang. No more room to belly up for you, dude.”

Absolutely. I know I plan to check it out (all the while dropping Ruhlman’s name mercilessly) the next time I am in Cleveland. 🙂

Tags

It may require half of the ice cubes in my ice tray… and take more time to make than to drink… but I’ve made that key lime cocktail twice in the past 24 hrs. Truly delicious. I guess not everyone can live in Cleveland, but at least we can drink like we do. 🙂

Wow! What a contrast! Bartenders as scientist/chefs rather than the gyrating flashiness of “Cocktail” or “Coyote Ugly”! The pretentiousness of so-called “cocktail stylists” pales in comparison to the VTR. No wonder you are enamored. I will certainly check it out if I am ever lucky enough to be in Cleveland!

I’m not concerned about people stampeding the VTR–it takes the bartenders 10 minutes to mix a proper drink. …if clevelanders venture out of their suburban bunkers to locate the place…

Adele, i’ll ask about their negroni but i believe they said it was standard, meaning, equal parts gin, sweet vermouth, and Campari, though i think they add 5 drops of VTR bitters, they flame oil zest over it to finish, and prefer to serve it straight up. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Negroni)

I’m glad s.woody mentioned two fine cocktails, the Manhattan and it’s scotch brother the Rob Roy. We tried the Manhattan made with bourbon and one made with rye and preferred the brasher, less perfumy rye.

and yes, vinotas, siberia–no one here would disagree, but it’s greatness was in a whole other category than the likes of tango room and its ilk.

Nope, not Siberia, this was one block up from Siberia. A real nasty dive, it closed about 7 years ago (right around the Millenium). My brain is too booze-damaged to recall the name, but wow was it awesome.
For cocktails, Angel’s Share was great for a while until it got discovered and all the B&T crowd piled in. So were Milk and Honey and even, on some nights, Corova Milk Bar (though it got real weird on certain nights).
Cheers!

This Cleveland that you speak of sounds like a magical land, much like Oz. How does one get there? Does it require a tornado? And are those who were raised in rival Rust Belt towns (like, ahem, Pittsburgh) allowed to cross its magical borders?

dear mr ruhlman, on behalf of all french people (or those of us who are half-french), i apologize for Idiot Georges above. although, judging from his run-on sentences from hell, he can’t be out of high school yet.

unless Georges is some friend of yours with a sense of humor, commenting for the hell of it.

Big Red

This place looks fantastic. I was a bartender in my younger days and I can tell you the art of the cocktail is something not easily mastered. Neither is the ability to pour a beer. Next time I am in Cleveland my husband I will have to go there. It looks well worth the time to find it. Thanks Ruhlman!

Georges
When you type in English into BabelFish (or whatever translation tool you use) your French will be more convincing if you do not try to type in fake French syntax. Simply type in English syntax and let the application take care of the rest. Don’t overreach.

Natalie Sztern

Natalie Sztern

see ya try to be smart and sarcastic and then wind up looking stupid….what i shud have said was “savez-vous un autre terme” not un notre terme…..but i didn’t have or know what Babelfish is…altho i do now!! Stupid English person born and brought up in Quebec, i am…

Okay George – before you humiliate yourself even further…Ruhlman’s not claiming to be a Chef – he’s a writer. He’s never claimed to be a Chef. He co-wrote The French Laundry cookbook, which I’m willing to bet a large sum of money on that you’ve never gotten reservations at.

And unless you were born and raised in my neighborhood, Neuilly-sur-Seine…you’re not french either.

DJButtonup

VTR has been around for years. Anytime there’s a mention, writeup or review someone always laments that “now it’ll be ruined by the hoi poloi storming the gates.” They’re always wrong. Hipsters and the lame ass socialite set are either too broke and/or too boring to get it.

While I haven’t been in years (moved away from CLE and now that we’re back babies make it hard to get out to bars) we would make a monthly trek from Kent while in school to spend an evening enjoying a few fine drinks and conversation. Often the owner would bring around some concoction he was working on to try out on us, which was really appreciated as we could only barely afford the drinks we had ordered!

Now that I’ve got the cash, I just don’t have the time! Cruel fate! Where’s that damn babysitter?

Skawt

Nic Heckett

Looks like a nice joint. When I visit Cleveland I will make it a point to stop by. My favorite cocktail is the Duneshine, available only at Bankie Banks’ Dune Preserve in Anguilla. Although Bankie guards the recipe jealously, I believe I have worked it out by the complex flavor notes. Firsly the staff grinds the seeds and sticks cleaned out of Bankie’s weed tray into a fine powder, and then soaks said detritus along with copious amounts of fresh ginger root in Mount Gay Rum. Water is added, and the mixture is left to ferment for a few days. More rum, and the mix is put in a plastic cooler. To serve, add rum, rum and bitters, stir well. It will taste awful unless imbibed at Bankie’s beach shack, preferably with Bankie and whatever pirates are in court there. Shameless plug here as Bankie is a friend – http://www.bankiebanx.net/. He is one of a kind and a pretty good tunesmith. Also knows some very good traditional Anguillan boatbuilders, a subject I believe to be close to your heart Ruhlman. I will send that bacon next week.

Robert McGee`

Hello
I’m in the middle of The Reach, but just discovered the blog lifestyle, guess i’m slow-tech. at 21, I was never going to cook again, and pursued a career as surgeons assistant…eventually moved up the ladder to peds congenital, broke my own heart repeatedly, what these surgeons do is amazing. Want to read Walk on water…, but also don’t..really miss the occupation sometimes. Anyway worked with Greg Higgins in Portland, Or for a while honing charcuterie, and loved your book on the subject. Thanks for what you do!

TedH

Great looking bar, but still not enough to make me want to go to Cleveland. My favorite bar, where the bartenders were part time alchemists and wordsmiths? Nicks in New Orleans. When he was alive, Nick could pour a 30 odd pouuse cafe in a 1 oz. parfait glass. We also thought you could pick any 2 words from the dictionary and Nick would have a drink for it. Aside from his Black Velvet Smashes, we drank ruptured ducks, pregnant canaries,… Hell, Nicks was so cool my parents went there in the 50″s & early 60’s whenever they were in town.

Our frat would go there and hand them a check for $150 and they would keep us drinking all night. I think I stll have a t-shirt somewhere that says “lets get nickfased at shits.” And the eggwhite thing? The Madestone club in East Hampton made (makes?) a drink base with simple syrup, fresh squeezed lime juice, egg whites and mint that they let sit for a couple of days under refrigeration and then combine with Mount Gay and more fresh mint. Its their version of a Southsider.

S. Woody

I grew up in Cleveland, but moved to Memphis 5 years ago. I actually tell people that the VTR is the “Best bar in the world.” Every chance I get to go home, I stop in for a drink. Thanks for posting about it!

bent4bubbles

Ahhh the Velvet Tango Room! I am lucky enough to not only know about the VTR, but actually know where it is! Many Clevelander’s have heard of it, but unless they know where to look for the glow of the neon light in the residential district, they never find the oasis that is the Tango Room. The drinks are from another era, the service is phenonmenal and the hosts are divine. Oh, did I mention the music? sigh. I know people think Cleveland is…whatever, but the VTR is not that. It is an oasis. BTW, I just saw an ad for No Reservations the “Cleveland episode” and Anthony Bourdain said that Cleveland is the “best show ever!”

Paulius here! Many thanks for all of the kind words for the VTR, and a sincere thanks to Ruhlman for the blog entry. We will try to live up to the accolades.

As you can tell, we take our craft very seriously, so I would like to address a few comments, and answer some questions.

We are not scientists, arteeeests, mixologists, or bar chefs. We are honorable craftsmen of an “old-school” skill.

I don’t think there is such a thing as a “bar chef”, as there is not an accredited school for this. And, I have too much respect for actual chefs.

Some “Mixology Schools” actually advertise there version of “Mixology” as a way to “make big $$$ while you PARTY!” Their usual focus is more on spinning and flipping bottles, juggling barware, and some rudimentary mixing “flavored martinis –today’s hottest drinks!” HURL<<<<<<
Bartending at the VTR is a commitment to learn the craft, which involves a lengthy apprenticeship. We will not let a new bartender go solo for at least 2 months. Getting to the point of being able to “invent” a new cocktail takes a whole lot longer. A new cocktail gets tweaked for weeks, even months if need be, if it even makes it to the menu. And the droppers? Imperative. VTR cocktails are individually built by the drop and the gram, each bartender’s cocktail being perfectly consistent with the others and with the final recipe.
The above Negroni recipe is correct, including the addition of 5 drops of orange bitters and “flaming the orange rind” –this is not for show, but to release the essential oils. As with all recipes, balance is key here. Though the main ingredient ratio is 1;1;1 (Campari – Vermouth – Gin), measure the ingredients by volume. Free pouring, even with a count, will usually result in not enough Campari. Its thicker viscosity will pour slower.
I look forward to everyone’s visit, please namedrop, and once again, a sincere thank you for your interest

Natalie

I have known the secret of the Velvet Tango Room for a decade or more. I can remember when upon arrival the ladies were presented with a rose and a truffle…it was a really nifty concept that made a lady feel special. I must admit that I have not been in years, but will make a stop soon.

As a person who was born and raised in Cleveland, lived many other wonderful places, but always finds herself “coming home”…don’t knock it until you have tried it!

Jack

I’ve been away from Cleveland for seven years and I’m glad to hear that the VTR is still going strong. I remember driving by the place during its pre-VTR existence. Back then I believe it was called “The 4 D’s Lounge” and from the looks of the place I figured that the four Ds stood for death, danger, drugs and destruction. When the VTR opened, I visited regularly and enjoyed every moment of it. It was always a great place to impress a date because on top of its great ambiance, ladies often received a free rose. I don’t get back to Cleveland very often, but I’ll be sure visit this great establishment again during my next trip.

Northern Sonoma’s Healdsburg had also become quite the cocktail mecca amidst the 200 or so wineries and Bear Republic Brew Pub. Scott at Cyrus is amazing! His roommate, Ross, tends a mean outdoor bar at Ravenous as well. The whole team at Barndiva and Willi’s Seafood Bar top off the mixological (new word?) offerings in our little 10,000 person hamlet. Give us a try!